The Fox's Bride
by HistoryBuffer
Summary: Some say that if you steal a kitsune's divine jewel, you can coax a favor from them. But that favor comes with a cost. Or, Kurosaki Masaki will move heaven and Earth for her son. Gin is a lonely but powerful kitsune who is seeking a spouse. Poor Ichigo didn't sign up to be the protagonist of a shojo manga
1. Prologue: Let's Make A Deal!

Kurosaki Masaki would do anything to protect her son.

As she stared in the face of one of the most terrifying creatures, she did not tremble. Even as its fangs gleamed dangerously, even as its nine silver tails whipped an angry frenzy behind it, she did not flinch. This was all for her son, for his protection and safety, and no force in the world was going to deter her.

She held out an offering of fried tofu, and her hands did not shake.

"Peace, Kitsune-san," she said, "I mean you no harm."

"Says the thief," snarled the kitsune. "Ya think mere food will be enough to save ya?! After what ya've taken?"

Masaki tightened her grip on the trinket she had taken from the fox spirit. "I do not intend to keep it," she told the wrathful spirit. "I simply wish to make a deal."

"Isn't that what yer kind always want?" mocked the kitsune. "So, what do ya want? Immortality? Riches? Perhaps some bauble or another?" Even through its anger, the kitsune managed to sound deeply condescending.

"I would not have come all this way for something so worthless." she told it. "I come for the sake of my son, my firstborn. He is in terrible danger, and I cannot protect him."

The kitsune scoffed derisively, its upper lip curling in a snarl. "So ya thought that stealing from me was the best way to protect him?"

Masaki kept her face impassive, masking her growing impatience. There was no time. He was coming. This was her last resort, but how to make the kitsune listen?

Maybe…?

Masaki took a deep breath, and let her defenses fall, just a hair. Just enough to make this kitsune understand.

Its eyes widened in shock, revealing the stunning blue irises unique to its kind. Its posture relaxed minutely in understanding, though its hackles were still raised with guarded suspicion.

"Oh," it said. "I see now." It then began to laugh, long and low and bitter. "All right, I'll grant yer wish." the kitsune said, "but ya must do something for me in return."

Masaki squared her shoulders and braced herself. "What must I do?"

The kitsune smirked. "I'll protect yer son from those who seek to harm him. I'll guard him day and night, even tuck him into bed. But in return, I'll want him as my bride."

Masaki spluttered. "What?!"

The kitsune shrugged, its tails whipping in amusement. "I can only guess who yer trying to protect him from, and if I'm right it'll be a massive pain. Besides," its shoulders slumped as its tone took on a melancholic note, "it gets terribly lonely all the way up here. It'd be nice to have a husband to keep me company."

"But, he's not old enough!" Masaki argued. "He's still just a child!"

"Then I will wait," said the kitsune, "until he is grown. Time, after all, means little to us yokai."

Masaki couldn't believe it. On the one hand, it was just a greater extension of what she'd already asked of the kitsune. A lifetime of protection for her son, but at what cost? She'd be giving up his freedom to choose his partner for himself, taking away his choice.

But the alternative…

Masaki felt sick at the thought of what that man would do if he ever got his hands on her son. At least with the kitsune, her son would be safe, and alive. She had no other choice.

"All right," she said, "I'll agree to your terms, kitsune-san."

The kitsune gave her a sinister, crafty grin.

"Call me Gin," it said. "After all, we're gonna have to be on familiar terms, ne?"

**This is a present for my friend Fiend. They really are lovely and deserve to have more of their favorite pairing. And thanks also to Chesh for keeping the secret. As always, folks, if you want faster updates please refer to AO3. This crosspost here is actually several days late.**


	2. Chapter 1: The Fox and the Strawberry

Ichigo, for as long as he could remember, could talk to ghosts. His mom insisted that they were _not _ghosts, but _yokai_. His dad insisted he had a grand imagination. Ichigo, with all the stubborn confidence of childhood, insisted they were _both _wrong, and called them whatever he wanted in the privacy of his own head.

His mom insisted that he learn more about them, and treat them with proper respect.

"Treat them wisely," Masaki told her son, "for they can be incredibly dangerous. Always be polite, but keep your wits sharp and your eyes peeled. The spirits of this world can be unkind to mortals."

Her voice was always somber and serious when discussing these things, so Ichigo knew to listen carefully. (Ichigo, as a matter of rule, _always_ made a point to listen to his mother. After all, of his parents, she was the only one who made any sense.)

"_Never_ give out your True Name to anyone," she told him. "Yokai come in all shapes and sizes, and they can easily trick it out of you. A name, freely given, cannot be returned."

"Then what do I tell them?" Ichigo asked.

"A nickname, perhaps." Masaki said, "or a false name."

Ichigo's face scrunched in confusion. "What about when other people say it? Like at school?"

Masaki smiled softly and patiently explained. "It must be _you_ to have any power."

Another time, she instructed Ichigo on the proper way to make an offering to local shrines.

"You never know who's watching," she told him, "so you must do it properly. You never want to anger the spirits. Your life will be forfeit."

However, most of her teachings revolved around the _kitsune_, the wild fox-spirits. "The _kitsune _are wily and suspicious," she would tell Ichigo, "but if you win the favor of one, you will have a loyal and fierce protector."

Though Masaki took careful pains to ensure Ichigo knew about all the local yokai, there was one shrine in particular that she paid attention to. It was a shrine to Inari, guarded by a powerful kitsune with _nine _tails, an ancient and powerful spirit.

All Ichigo ever saw of this mythical kitsune was an adorable silver little fox kit that liked the dried persimmons Ichigo snuck in his pocket.

Ichigo's life was filled with wonder at the ghosts and spirits that surrounded him. He thrived on his mother's stories, enraptured with wide eyes at the intricacies of the legends and folktales. Ichigo himself was too shy to talk to yokai directly, remembering his mother's warnings.

But then, when he was ten, his mother was killed by a monster, and Ichigo's world fell apart.

His father, deciding to get away from the bad memories and make a fresh start, told Ichigo and his sisters that they were moving.

Ichigo, upset and worried, asked his father who would take care of the shrines.

Isshin told his son to get his head out of the clouds.

"You're ten years old now," Isshin told him, "and it's time you started acting like it."

"I think it's a load of crap," Ichigo confided in his little fox friend. "Does he think he's the only one upset about Mom? Just because _he _wants to run away doesn't mean we all have to."

The fox chittered and snuggled closer, as if it could understand what Ichigo was saying. Ichigo knew it was because it wanted more persimmons.

"I promise I'll come back," Ichigo whispered to his friend, "even if it takes ten years, I promise I'll return."

As he was leaving, he could have sworn he'd heard a reply.

_I'll hold ya to it, Ichi-berry._

And for ten years, the kitsune waited for Ichigo's return.

**Thanks as always to Chesh for looking over this! If anyone wants to come chat, please check out my Discord Server! Everyone is welcome. See you all next time! :3c**


	3. Chapter 2:Beneath the Persimmon Tree

A week before Kurosaki Ichigo moved back to his hometown, his dreams were visited by a mysterious stranger.

"Hello, Ichi-berry." The man said, "It's been a long time, ne?"

Ichigo peered up at the man. He couldn't make out his face, but the silver fox ears and nine beautiful tails were a dead giveaway. "Hello kitsune-san," Ichigo replied, "it has."

The man grinned, silver-sharp. "Almost ten years, I believe." he said, too casually. "I hope ya didn't forget your promise."

Ichigo frowned, and leaned against a tree that had appeared. "Promise?"

"Don't tell me ya forgot already, Ichi-berry," the man teased, "After all, ya made it beneath this very tree." He plucked a fruit from the low-hanging branches, ripe and rich with the color of early fall.

He tossed it casually to Ichigo, who realized with a start that it was a persimmon fruit. His favorite kind.

Ichigo stared incomprehensibly. Who _was _this mysterious kitsune? Ichigo would almost certainly remember him, especially if a promise was involved. But the only fox he had made a promise to had probably forgotten him years ago. Unless…

Seeing the comprehension beginning to dawn on Ichigo's face, the man smiled forlornly. "Come back ta me, Ichi-berry," he pleaded, his accent thickening, "Ah've been so lonely."

As the dream began to fade, Ichigo felt a pair of soft lips upon his forehead.

The next morning, an acceptance letter from Karakura University in his hometown arrived.

_Come back to me,_ the kitsune's voice echoed, _please come back._


	4. Chapter 3: Homecoming

Ichigo felt very little nostalgia or sadness when he packed his things to move to Karakura. He would miss his sisters, of course, but that was it really. He fit his clothes in one luggage case, his belongings in another. He ruffled Yuzu's hair and hugged Karin, and sat in stony silence as his dad lectured him once more.

Once on the train, he sequestered himself near a window seat and watched idly as the world passed by. Halfway through the trip, the ghost of an old businessman sat in the empty seat next to him. Ichigo put in his earphones and focused even more on the countryside.

When he arrived in Karakura Station, he took his belongings and walked the once-familiar streets to the apartment he'd rented off-campus. On-campus housing was too expensive, so he'd answered a roommate ad from another student to rent a small apartment off-campus. Ichigo would have been suspicious, but he could take care of himself and had a ridiculous amount of good luck when it came to bad situations.

Standing in front of the old apartment building, Ichigo clutched tightly to his mother's pendant. _(It's for good luck, Ichigo, she'd say, so don't take it off!)_

For the first time, he began to feel the stirrings of mild panic. What if his roommate turned out badly? What if he was a serial killer, and Ichigo was walking to his death?

_(What if his dad was right? What if he failed?)_

Shaking off the anxiety, Ichigo knocked on the door decisively. The door open to reveal a tall, handsome silver-haired man, with slanted eyes and a sharp grin. He felt familiar, but Ichigo couldn't place where he'd seen him before.

"Ya must be my new roommate," the man said reaching out his hand to shake, "I'm afraid I've forgotten your name though, sorry. What was it again?"

Ichigo eyed the hand warily. "My name should be on the roommate form. Not my fault you didn't read it." He pushed past his strange new roommate and into the apartment proper. It was small and spare, but Ichigo didn't mind. It was, after all, just a place to stay.

"So, what do ya want me to call ya then?" his roommate asked. "I have to call ya _something_ after all."

Ichigo scowled harder in annoyance. All he wanted was to be left alone. "Call me whatever," he said, putting his two bags in the corner of the living room. "'M going out."

He turned and walked out the door again, ignoring his roommate's calls of confusion.

He had a promise to keep, after all.


	5. Chapter 4: Promises to Keep

Ichigo stopped at a small convenience store on his way down the street, his thunderous scowl scaring the poor cashier. He paid his surroundings no mind, making a beeline for the cleaning supplies.

On his way out, he noticed a large package of dried persimmons. He tried not to think too much of it when he added it to his purchases.

Slowly, he made his way around town, to all of the old shrines and statues from his childhood. Without out anyone to care for them, they became dirty and stained, overgrown with moss and weeds.

Ichigo carefully cleaned them all, every single one, and at each left a small offering of the persimmons.

He never noticed the foxes watching him from each shrine, stealing the offerings after he left.

Eventually, as the sky turned a soft orange, Ichigo made his way to the most important shrine of all, hidden deep in the woods.

"Hey," he called out, "It's uh… it's been a while."

The large silver fox on the shrine flicked an ear, unimpressed.

"Look, I'm uh, I'm really sorry I didn't come sooner. But I'm going to be staying in this town for a while, so… can I make it up to you?" Ichigo held out the last of the persimmons, by far the biggest offering he's made this evening.

The fox sniffed disdainfully, turning its nose up. But a sliver of a blue eye was slyly peeking out at Ichigo, so he knew that the fox forgave him. It was just being a little shit about it.

Sighing, Ichigo pulled out a second bag of dried persimmons. He opened it, and placed the contents on a small paper plate in front of the fox. Its clear blue eyes widened, then with a final exasperated huff it began to delicately nibble on the dried fruit.

Ichigo almost blew out a sigh of relief. He had managed to keep his promise after all.

While the fox ate, Ichigo began to clean this shrine too. From time to time, the odd fox would approach him for head scritches before trotting off to beg for leftovers from the silver fox.

An hour, perhaps two, passed languidly in that fashion. Ichigo stretched his muscles, seeing that it was getting dark, and gave the foxes some final pats before making his way back to the apartment.

The trail home was well-trod, so Ichigo had no problem making his way back. In the distance, he heard the wailing of yokai, accompanied by deep growls. Ichigo ignored them, his eyes trained on the trail beneath him as exhaustion pulled at his senses.

"Hey dipshit," a gravelly voice called, "ya can't walk this way."

Ichigo looked up. Blocking the way was an enormous blue _nekomata, _it's fangs bared threateningly.

"This is the only way back to town." Ichigo replied.

"This is _my_ territory, jackass." the cat demon growled. "I'm not letting some snot nosed _human_ muck it up with their stench. There's a second path that'll take you back, so get yourself off my territory!"

Ichigo huffed a sigh through his nose. The second path was much more dangerous, winding and narrow, and full of roots to trip over. It would take twice as long to get home, and what would his new roommate think?

Ah, who was Ichigo kidding? He was too exhausted to care.

As he turned to go the other way, a thickly accented voice called out, "Ah wouldn' do that if Ah were ya, Ichi-berry."

Ichigo turned. Leaning against the tree was a masked man, with long silver hair and traditional dress. Ichigo thought this man looked familiar… until he caught sight of clear blue eyes beneath the fox mask.

"Hmph, why are you here, Ichimaru?" the cat demon growled. "Don't you have a statue to pine on?"

"Oh Grimm-kitty, don't be so mean~!" the man said in a sing-song voice. "After all, you were about to lure my precious human into a death-trap, weren't you?"

The nekomata spluttered, "Since when have you cared? A cat needs to eat, ya know?!"

To Ichigo, all of this was happening far away. His fatigue was catching up to him and his vision grew blurry.

The masked man, who had begun advancing on the blue cat demon, rushed to Ichigo's side instead as he lost consciousness. The last thing Ichigo saw before he lost consciousness was the masked spirit's beautiful, clear blue eyes.

Gin gently picked up his precious human, carrying him bridal-style down the path home.

Grimm-kitty still blocked his way. "The hell, Ichimaru? That was my _dinner!_ You never cared before, why are you interfering _now?_"

Gin bared his fangs at the insolent kitten. "Ichi-berry is _mine, _ya insipid feline. Ye're lucky Ah'm lettin' ya live for even _thinkin'_ of harmin' him."

Grimm-kitty's eyes widened comically. "Wait, are you saying _he's_ the one you've been pining after? This shrimp?!"

Gin growled lowly in his throat. "Ye're lucky Ah'm in a good mood, _Grimmjow_, or Ah'd tear ya in half fer the insult. Now _git_. And don' let me see ya threatenin' my berry again, ya hear?"

Grimmjow growled lowly. "Fuck you, Ichimaru."

He turned and scattered into the night.

With the pesky feline gone, Gin took to the skies to deliver his berry home. He landed softly on the windowsill of Ichigo's new home, using a little _kitsune_ magic to open the window. He laid Ichigo softly onto the bed, reverently tucking him in.

"Soon, my betrothed," he whispered, "we will meet properly." He chuckled lowly.

"And how Ah look forward to that day."


End file.
